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The vintage Hamilton Fontaineblue we've found today is a really cool watch, just look at it. This late 1960s / early 1970s chronograph features that great retro design and one of the very first automatic movements, the same that was used in the original Heuer Monaco.

We love a good military piece, as we've said many times before. Today's military piece is really something very cool. It is not so much a watch or a clock as it is a detonation timer. Yes, this small clock was originally installed into World War II US Bomber planes as a means to track how long the flight crew had until a just released bomb would explode.

If the functionality and purpose of this timepiece wasn't interesting enough, it is actually made by Hamilton. Essentially, this timepiece was mounted on a turret and due to the hacking mechanical Hamilton movement, it allowed the gunman to effectively track elapsed time after the bomb was released and before it went kaboom.

This is the cleanest example of a 1940s Hamilton Bomb Timer we've seen, and as such it is on the higher side, selling for $1250. If you are looking for one that is in considerably rougher shape (but perhaps more authentic looking), there is one available on ebay for $750.

For more details on this very cool and very interesting military relic, the Hamilton Bomb Timer, click here.

Let's face it, the United States Government is not exactly the cleanest operating organization in the world, far from it, really. It should come as no surprise to you then that there once existed a Bureau deep within the US military regime called the Bureau of Ships, right? Seems pretty straight forward, no?

The Bureau of Ships (or BuShips) was actually formed when the Bureau of Construction & Repair and the Bureau of Engineering combined way back in 1940. It was their duty to build and purchase ships (duh) for the army and air force, in addition to coordinating repair. Well their reign didn't last long, and in 1966 the BuShips was dismantled and replaced by NAVSEA.

Even though they were only around a short period of time, they did have an important impact on something very dear to our hearts....yes, military watches. They were the ones who ordered the original Canteen watches from Hamilton, and that is what we have found for you here.

From the 1940s comes an original Hamilton Canteen military watch that is even signed "USN BUSHIPS". It is 100% original, features additional military markings on the back, and in pretty good shape. What is coolest though, in our opinion, is the extremely subtle, black filled engraving of the word "Hamilton" on the face. The movement is an original Hamilton manual wind that has been expertly restored.

This is one of the most sought after Military watches around, period. It is rather small at 31mm, but if you can get over that, you'll have one of the coolest watches around. It is being offered at a sale price of $2499; click here for details. These do not come up for sale that often.

All well and good, but how do they feel about nice watches?? They apparently love them. After all, we found that one Rolex with their nation's emblem on it, and now we've found a Hamilton World-Timer from the 1970s with their logo on it.

Despite what the seller says (he claims its an Iraqi coat of arms), this is most definitely an Omani watch from Hamilton that is great looking in its own right, but made fascinating by this particular face. It is a genuine world-timer, featuring 24 cities on an outer ring that is adjustable by the colored crowns. It is selling for $3,650, which seems high for this piece even with the rare insignia on the face. However, if you do have a particular interest in Oman or the middle east itself, this could be a great conversation starting watch. Click here for the details on this Hamilton from Oman.

So we've found two watches with Omani logos on them, but how does its ruler really feel about watches? Well, lets let Antiquorum answer that question. Yup, at the next auction taking place in Geneva, a 1972 Rolex will be sold that happens to have the signature of Qaboos bin Said on the face. That means the leader of Oman commissioned Rolex to make him is own watch with his signature in bright red right on the front. Pretty interesting, no?

Just recently, an old friend of Hodinkee came to us looking for advice on a purchasing new, Modern Day Certina DS Princemid-range sport watch. This person, who has the same discriminating eye for design as our editors, was looking for something that was both progressively styled yet above the trends that often dominate watches in the sub-$1000 range. We threw out some suggestions; Hamilton, Tissot, Swiss Army, Toy Watch, etc., and he ignored every single of them.

We thank him for that. Our friend bought a Certina, and that forced us to take another look at this Swatch-owned brand. Certina was founded in 1888 by two brothers in Switzerland on the principles of "Reliability, Precision, and Innovation". Perhaps best known for their "DS" or "Double-Security" cases, Certina has continually produced interesting, imaginative designs on one end of the spectrum, and classically inspired pieces on the other.

The Very First Digital Watch, Circa 1936For example, in 1936, the company produced the very first digital watch (mechanical, of course). In 1959, the company relased their very first DS watch, which incorporated a movement suspended by springs inside an unusually thick case. Back on the imaginative side, Certina released a watch called the Biostar in 1971 that was capable of tracking human biorhythms.

In 1976 Certina produced a version of the DS called the Diamaster that was actually worn by a heavyweight boxer born by the name of Cassius Clay. This watch was advertised as being virtually un-scratchable. More recently, Certina has adopted a heavily European focus and has acted as sponsor to the BMW Sauder F1 team in addition to some high profile motorcycle racers.

Certina is now considered by Swatch to be their leading mid-ranged Mohammed Ali and his 1976 DS Diamasterwatch world wide, although we think our friend Dennis Philips might have something to say about that. We don't think either brand is better than the other, simply different. Hamilton is rugged and military inspired, certainly American by design. Certina, which uses many of the same movements as Hamilton, is more stylish and sporty, with a European flair, and we have to say we like that.

Click here to visit Certina's official site. We absolutely love their new automatic DS Prince and DS Podium watches.

There is one American watch brand that stands out above all others. Since it's inception in 1892, the Hamilton Watch Co. has represented the very highest grade movements coupled with some truly progressive designs, bringing high demand and international prestige to a country not known for their watches. Recently our very own Executive Editor, Ben Clymer, sat down with the man behind the brand, Hamilton USA President Dennis Phillips. This is what he had to say:

BC: First of all, how did you get involved watches? Where did the interest come from?

DP: My parents owned a jewellery store when I was a child. My father would bring home old pieces and through him I would see watches around me all the time. In 1978 I began to work for ASUAG (which at the time owned ETA). I held varying positions through the years including selling Citizen to department stores, working as the NY regional sales manager for Omega, as well as serving as the President of Rado watches. Eventually, I landed here as the President of Hamilton.

BC: Could you give our readers a quick summary of how you view the Hamilton brand today?

DP: Sure, Hamilton sits between Tissot and Longines in the Swatch Family. Currently, we are perhaps the greatest "discovery" brand out there. Our brand is over 100 years old but some our designs are really edgy. We don't spend much money on marketing, and we leave a lot of our promotion up to word of mouth and self-discovery. We have enough confidence in our designs that I think people who walk into a jewellery store will be drawn to Hamilton based on looks alone.

Also, recently we moved our headquarters to Switzerland which has allowed us to to utilize some great resources such as using ETA movements. Once someone realizes just what they are getting and at what price, they will be sold on a Hamilton. I think we are the best kept secret in the watch industry.

BC: Much of what we talk about here on Hodinkee involves vintage pieces, what is your favorite vintage Hamilton?

DP: The Ventura, no question about it. It is such a unique design and even now, 50 years after it was released, it is still completely different from anything else on the market. It was the first electric watch, and its placement in Men In Black has really solidified it as a classic.

BC: The Ventura is still available today, any plans to make any changes to the current model?

DP: Actually, we have about five or six new variations on the Ventura set to be released within the next year.

BC: So many of your pieces are military-inspired, do you think many of your younger customers are aware of Hamilton's history supplying the US Government with watches for the armed forces?

DP: Well I don't think most people are aware of our history in military pieces, but as the brand continues to grow and more people rediscover (or discover for the first time) what we have to offer, I think many won't be surprised that we have such a storied history.

BC: Some of our most popular articles on Hodinkee have to do with watches and the famous people who wore them, are you aware of any persons of note wearing a Hamilton that you think may cause a spike in demand?

DP: Oh sure, Harrison Ford actually designed a watch for us called the Khaki Conservation GMT. He is very active within Conservation International - a non for profit organization that applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity and demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature. This partnership will be producing great things. Hamilton is contributing a significant amount of the proceeds from the sale of the watch directly to Conservation International. Harrison's influence is definitely apparent in the look of the watch, and these will be limited to only 6000 pieces world wide.

BC: There has been a lot of attention given to investing in watches as a more secure market than traditional methods. Do you think Hamilton offers a collector or investor the chance to have strong returns in the future?

DP: Absolutely. Many times when these articles are written about which brands offer the investor an opportunity to make money (or at least retain a certain value), Hamilton is mentioned along with the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe. I think that says a lot about our brand; we have been around forever and we remain a highly sought after collection. I think out of our current lineup, any of our limited edition pieces will always attract a lot of attention from collectors and buyers at auctions.

BC: There are so many great brands out there today, assuming you weren't the President of Hamilton, what would be on your wrist?

DP: A limited edition Hamilton Watch. The impeccable design and quality of the Hamilton is undeniable. When I retire though, a Breguet or a Glashutte.

BC: Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about yourself or Hamilton?

DP: Just that we are offering some really top-grade mechanical watches with some of the best aesthetics out there today. 85% of our watches sold have automatic movements and I suspect that trend to continue on. We enjoy our position as the best kept secret in watches, but we also can't wait for more people to discover just how great our pieces are, and I think that word of mouth is very strong for Hamilton right now.

BC: Finally, what do you think of Hodinkee?

DP: I think you guys are doing something great. Hodinkee is extremely informative but not overbearing. There are so many sites out there where people post dozens of pictures and nit-pick the technical specs of each watch, you guys are really telling a story. I think this is what people realy care about when it comes down to it.

BC: Great! Thank you so much for your time and I know our readers can't wait to see what you have planned next for Hamilton.

We would like to thank Dennis Phillips for taking the time to sit down with us. To see all that Hamilton has to offer, visit their official site here.

We love hearing from the people behind the brands, and we will continue to bring you candid interviews with the very people shaping the watch world today and tomorrow. Be on the lookout for an interview with Maitres du Temps CEO Steven Holtzman in the coming weeks, as well as the President of an up and coming brand from right here in the US.

The last watch we featured was a Glashutte pilot's watch made in Germany, the watch we are featuring today is a diving watch made in America. If it's American, it's got to be Hamilton. This particular Hamilton is one of the best looking we've come across.

This is a diving watch from the mid-1960s, Hamilton's answer to Rolex's Submariner, Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms, and Omega's Seamaster. Called the Aqua-Date, this diving watch certainly never had the cache of any of its Swiss counterparts, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a quality movement and a great look to it.

In fact, we think this Aqua-Date is better looking than most of the Swiss diving watches of the same time period. You have to love that two-toned retro dial. The black outter ring actually rotates for timing purposes.

This Hamilton comes with the original box and warranty papers, dating it to 1965 or 1966. It measures to 36mm and is in absolutely pristine condition. This watch is being sold for $1395, which is a great price for a unique vintage diving watch in great condition.

Say what you will about American brands, but Hamilton has been known to make some interesting, complicated, and beautiful timepieces; and today we have found one. Here is a Hamilton GMT Count-Down Chrono-Matic. This watch was Hamilton's answer to the Omega Flightmaster, which at the time was seen in a few NASA publicity shots and has since gained a cult-following.

This Hamilton is in excellent and original condition, with all mechanics working perfectly. A price of $2,700 seems reasonable considering the unique look and history behind this truly interesting watch. We would be hard-pressed to find a more interesting or unique Hamilton anywhere. Click here for more details.

*Please note the vendor's description does include some inaccurate statements about the origins of this watch. NASA never contracted Hamilton to produce a timepiece for its pilots and the Omega Flightmaster was never worn into space. The Omega Speedmaster is the offical watch of NASA and has been since the late 60's.

This is a beautiful 1970 Hamilton Chrono-Matic Chronograph. From what we can tell, this watch looks to be in pristine condition. The movement of this time-piece is what makes it such a great find. The watch contains a caliber 11 movement, which happens to be found in many of Breitlings and Heuers from the same time period. A price tag of $1995 isn't too bad considering the excellent condition and very high quality movement. Click the pic to learn more.

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Friday March 3, 2012

HODINKEE is one of the most widely read wristwatch publications in the world. Launched in 2008 by then 25-year-old Benjamin Clymer, the site quickly gained notoriety for earnest looks at some of the industry’s most interesting, and occasionally forgotten timepieces.